Riding home North on hwy 75 through Plano and saw a guy on a red bike. looked good, sporty and looking at his riding position it didn't look too bad, natural like one of my standard vintage models.

I pulled up beside him and it was a Bandit 1200S or S1200? I have always ridden what you see in my sig, and like the cruiser/standard style because they are comfortable to me.

The guy had on T-shirt, shorts, looked comfortable and I could see myself maybe riding one of these because of the position. Leaning way over on a sport bike would probably tire my arms out but probably try one of those for fun also one day.

Can you expound on what I see as riding position and comfort.

How fast are these, top speed -1/4 mile times?

V-4's? or inline 4's?

Power band - torque?

Can you distance ride on these as in a weekend trip easily or mainly short rides?

Is their a 1200 and a 1200S, whats the difference?

etcthorne

06-27-2008, 05:27 AM

Somebody with a little more technical savy than me will chime in with some performance specs, but I can tell you for certain that the seating position is extremely comfortable. I'm 46 and I've ridden cruisers for most of my life, but did buy a 750 Katana a few years back. I had it for about 6 months and had to get rid of it because of my back and it created crinks in my neck from looking up all the time - very uncomfortable. The Bandit presents none of these issues for me. It's a very comfortable, slight lean forward toward the bars, and creates very little if any stress on the lower back. I just did a 750 mile ride a month ago and the only complaint I had at the end was severe Monkey butt (the stock seat). But you'll hear differing opinions on the stock seat from the great folks here. Most bikes nowadays come with suckish stock seats :doh:

As for power and smoothness, there is no equal to the Bandit in this price range. The torque of this in-line four banger is shocking (from down low in the rpm band, which is very unusual for a 4 cylinder engine). With a six speed transmission in sixth gear on the freeway, rpms are really low too. Grab that throttle to pass on the freeway starting at 65 and prepare to have your arms pulled out of their sockets if you're not careful. It really is an amazingly powerful and smooth machine. I've owned probably 7 or 8 bikes over the years, and I've found my dream machine. That is, until I'm old enough to buy the rolling lounge chair of a motorcycle - a Goldwing.

sproggy

06-27-2008, 07:27 AM

Somebody with a little more technical savy than me will chime in with some performance specs, but I can tell you for certain that the seating position is extremely comfortable. I'm 46 and I've ridden cruisers for most of my life, but did buy a 750 Katana a few years back. I had it for about 6 months and had to get rid of it because of my back and it created crinks in my neck from looking up all the time - very uncomfortable. The Bandit presents none of these issues for me. It's a very comfortable, slight lean forward toward the bars, and creates very little if any stress on the lower back. I just did a 750 mile ride a month ago and the only complaint I had at the end was severe Monkey butt (the stock seat). But you'll hear differing opinions on the stock seat from the great folks here. Most bikes nowadays come with suckish stock seats :doh:

As for power and smoothness, there is no equal to the Bandit in this price range. The torque of this in-line four banger is shocking (from down low in the rpm band, which is very unusual for a 4 cylinder engine). With a six speed transmission in sixth gear on the freeway, rpms are really low too. Grab that throttle to pass on the freeway starting at 65 and prepare to have your arms pulled out of their sockets if you're not careful. It really is an amazingly powerful and smooth machine. I've owned probably 7 or 8 bikes over the years, and I've found my dream machine. That is, until I'm old enough to buy the rolling lounge chair of a motorcycle - a Goldwing.

He's asking about a 1200, not a 1250 - although the riding position is similar the engine characteristics and performance probably aren't so I'm just pointing this out so he doesn't go and buy a 1200 expecting it to be like a 1250......

The 1200 is naked, the 1200S has a half fairing. Both were replaced in 2007 by the water-cooled 1250 version (the 1200 used a development of the oil/air cooled GSXR1100 engine). Technical specs and performance figures for the 1250 are on the Suzuki website and you'll find figures from various independent tests for both 1200 and 1250 if you do a web search.

You can ride any distance on any bike but I've done a couple of 1000+mile weekends and the 1250S (faired version) is fine for that but it's not a Goldwing and everyone's expectations are different so the best advice is to get on one and try it.

etcthorne

06-27-2008, 07:35 AM

Thanks Sproggy. My post did sound a bit like an advertisement for the 1250S - it is an amazing bike. I never rode a 1200 Bandit (or any other Bandit), so you're correct. I've seen pictures of them and the seating position seems similar though.

FDM

06-27-2008, 01:33 PM

I donít personally know anything about the 1200 but have been told the riding position is very similar to the 1250, here is a pic of my wife and I riding the 1250s on our way to Canyon Lake, we were around 65mph when the picture was taken.

I will do some research when able but some research will not fill me in of the differences, of course I didn't know about the 1250....this guy looked more upright than your pic above, maybe not.

I didn't know these 1200's were aircooled, six speed to boot. I think I would prefer the S over the nekkid.

They are a good looking bike and would be fun!

sproggy

06-27-2008, 02:01 PM

I will do some research when able but some research will not fill me in of the differences, of course I didn't know about the 1250....this guy looked more upright than your pic above, maybe not.

Different people, different arm lengths, different body height, possibly even different bars - they're easy to change on a Bandit. You can't put much on the appearance of a riding position. Mine, for example, is much more leant-forward than a lot of others because I fitted low Renthal bars - other people raise the standard one. It's a very tailorable riding position on either 1200 or 1250.

I didn't know these 1200's were aircooled, six speed to boot. I think I would prefer the S over the nekkid. .

I'm 99% sure the 1200 was 5-speed - etcthorne was talking about the 1250 when he mentioned the 6-speed box.

They are a good looking bike and would be fun!

You won't get much argument about that on here :rider:

TWTim

06-27-2008, 02:35 PM

Kurt had a 1200S. An awesome blue one, IIRC. Perhaps he can offer some insight.

A good friend of mine has either a '96 or '97 Bandit 1200, but it's all souped-up and makes more horsepower and torque than stock:

I donít personally know anything about the 1200 but have been told the riding position is very similar to the 1250, here is a pic of my wife and I riding the 1250s on our way to Canyon Lake, we were around 65mph when the picture was taken.

The 1200 is a very good bike...I don't know if there is a better all around bike for the money. Owners report very good reliability too...I'd go for a 2003 or later.

suzukijo

06-27-2008, 06:40 PM

TLRAM1, i got a '72 kettle! J&R chambers, most all other stock.

i dont think anyone will argue the benefits of the bandit of this forum, the newer the better. dont ride one.

nothing like riding a new bike, to make you want one.

TLRam1

06-27-2008, 07:16 PM

You have photos of your 72? Did you do any porting for the chambers? Nothing like that sweet 2-cycle sound on a street bike! and the exhaust, man that smells good!

TLRam1

06-27-2008, 07:21 PM

I will probably sell the CB750Four, too many bikes for the garage, had to put 3 in the house. Once I sell the CB750 I can open a spot up or if I had to I guess I could put another in the house.

davidy61

06-27-2008, 07:25 PM

I was riding a Honda ST1100, now i ride a 2008 1250 Bandit ABS. The Bandit riding position is just as good as the Honda, torque is smoother, the bike a lot better. I have a bit of arthritis, so the loss of over 70kg in bike weight was a great help. Much easier to ride. The only thing not as good is the wind protection the fairings of the Honda offered. Have to dress a bit warmer for the winter now, but that is a small price to pay for a much better bike.

The photo was taken on the way to an overnight trip in South Australia's mid north, 2 up with gear. My daughter is on the back. We were doing about 110km/hr or 70mph.

Did you change your bars or move them back? That's what I remember seeing!

I test drove a new Honda ST. Steering felt heavy at low speeds but maybe thats the way these are.

davidy61

06-27-2008, 08:04 PM

I test drove a new Honda ST. Steering felt heavy at low speeds but maybe thats the way these are.

Agree, very heavy at slow speeds but good once out cruising the highways. Fell off it twice whilst not even moving :doh: Once it got to a certain tilt, there was no way i could hold it up. Hated moving it to park it and if the slope was going the wrong way, usually had to get help to move it backwards. Well, that's all over now i have my beautiful Bandit :-P

kurt

06-27-2008, 08:25 PM

The 1200S (faired) and the 1250 have almost identical ergonomics. My 2002 1200S was a 5-speed air cooled bike. It was the best do it all bike I have ever owned. It was capable of long days in the saddle, had reasonable sporting abilities with a few suspension tweaks. I owned it for two years and put 20,000 miles on it although it wasn't really stock. I added race cams, a stage 2 kit and a full header/exhaust system boosting output by 30%.

It wasn't without its faults though. The headlights sucked and the bars buzzed at 4500-5500 rpms. The mirrors were useless. I recently found myself looking at the 1250 to compliment the Wing, but just couldn't do it. I've become spoiled by superior wieather protection and hard cases. I know you can get those for the new Bandits, but I've always seemed to gravitate to some thing new and different.

For basic transportation the 1200 can't be beat. Maintenance is simple and the bike is dead-reliable.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v609/kurt1305/Bikes/Recent.jpg

txbanditrydr

06-27-2008, 08:35 PM

The Bandit represents one of the best values in the bike market - it pretty much does everything you'd like. I've carved corners, toured, drag raced and basically done a ton of fun filled riding. Used Bandits are a bargain as they tend to not hold their re-sale value - bad for the seller but very good for the buyer.

The air-cooled Bandit has a long history and lots of aftermarket parts to choose from. The are generally cheap to insure and last a long time with very simple maintenance procedures. There are some weak points such as the stock suspension (not for portly folks) and 2 model years of notorious oil consumption (2001 and part of 2002 - all addressed by VIN number).

As others have said... the new 2007 model Bandit took some of the technology out of the dark ages but the older Bandits are work horses that will treat you very well for very little money. I sure do like mine.

TLRam1

06-28-2008, 01:39 PM

I checked some reviews last night, actually a pretty good review comparing to Honda, BMW and Yamaha.

Your real world comments are what is missed in reviews. I would be buying a used model, thanks for the heads up on oil consumption, as you can see by my number of bikes I like quantity verses the latest and greatest you pay for on a new model.

I went by my local Suzuki dealer in Plano and they are out of Bandits, all Scooters, Kawak Elimnator 125's, V-Strom 650 and Ninja 250's.

whitesands

06-28-2008, 10:53 PM

Bandit 1250 is very hard to find.

FDM

06-29-2008, 02:28 PM

That blue looks really nice!

Thanks Whitesands!

TLRam1
I am about 5’ 10 1/2” and don’t have very long arms that may be some of the reason it looks like the 1250 is a little more lean forward to you.

I have heard the same thing about the 1200 being great bikes, really the only complaint I ever heard was they are a little buzzy, ride a 1250 also if you get the chance they are a very impressive bike.

TLRam1

06-29-2008, 03:50 PM

How often do you have to adjust the valves?

PhilS

06-29-2008, 06:52 PM

Book sys 14,500 miles. Has anyone hit this mark yet and adjusted valves? Has anyone gone past 14500 and not adjusted valves?

suzukijo

06-29-2008, 08:30 PM

i'm past 17k, and have not looked yet.

when i have some spare time, i simply want to ride, and not work.

sproggy

06-30-2008, 05:28 AM

The only thing not as good is the wind protection the fairings of the Honda offered. Have to dress a bit warmer for the winter now, but that is a small price to pay for a much better bike.

I see from the picture that you still have the standard screen - no wonder you don't think the protection is as good - the screen is rubbish! There are several alternatives available (including Suzuki's own touring screen) all of which improve protection to a greater or lesser degree.

davidy61

06-30-2008, 06:59 AM

I see from the picture that you still have the standard screen - no wonder you don't think the protection is as good - the screen is rubbish! There are several alternatives available (including Suzuki's own touring screen) all of which improve protection to a greater or lesser degree.

Yep, on my shopping list to get a better screen. Unfortunately, accessories are not so easy to get in Australia or if they are available here, we pay 2-3 times the US$ price.

I am currently waiting to hear back from Dale Walker at Holeshot re an ATRE/Gear Indicator and Comp 2 Touring Slip on Can. (Hurry up Dale :-D ) Once that is done, the screen is the next and hopefully last item, probably the Powerbronze flip up or double bubble (hopefully I can get it in Australia). It gets frustrating having to import all the good stuff, as we pay a fortune for postage. We can't even get OEM Suzuki stuff here. I had to import an OEM tank bra from the USA. Think yourselves lucky guys.

Roy

06-30-2008, 07:37 AM

I owned two old 1200 Bandits a '99 and a '00. both were great bikes had no problems with either one. Easy to service and work on. The carbs could be a pain at times but other than that no complaints. The 5 speed tranny was not that good on long trips a bit buzzy. I did some touring on both. The torque level was not like the 1250 down low. The 1200 was a bit more revvy since its engine was a sourced earlier GSXR motor. Wind protection might be a tad better on the 1250 but not by much. In alot of ways the two are still very similar. Can't go wrong with either one.

sproggy

06-30-2008, 02:41 PM

Unfortunately, accessories are not so easy to get in Australia or if they are available here, we pay 2-3 times the US$ price.

We can't even get OEM Suzuki stuff here. I had to import an OEM tank bra from the USA. Think yourselves lucky guys.

'They' are lucky in the US. Suzuki don't/won't sell the tank bra or the touring screen in the UK either. I bought both at the same time from Everything Suzuki - shipping to the UK wasn't cheap in dollars but at current exchange rates it wasn't too bad for me.

I'll probably end up buying the gel seat from the US too.

dwoodul

07-01-2008, 01:09 PM

davidy61,

Looks, from your picture, that you and I are about the same height - around 5'8". I replaced the stock windscreen with a Givi and it has made all the difference. No more wind-blast in the face/under the helmet and the bike feels more stable in windy conditions. The wind now hits about the top of my helmet. The Givi is about 4-5 inches taller.

Regards,

Ol dave

etcthorne

07-01-2008, 01:27 PM

Dave, I like my Givi too! I'm 6'0", but the difference between the protection offered by the Givi vs the stock shield is dramatic. With the Givi, the wind hits my full-face helmet right about at the bottom of the face shield (which corresponds closely with yours hitting you at the top of the helmet). No buffeting whatsoever.

davidy61

07-01-2008, 04:55 PM

davidy61,

Looks, from your picture, that you and I are about the same height - around 5'8". I replaced the stock windscreen with a Givi and it has made all the difference. No more wind-blast in the face/under the helmet and the bike feels more stable in windy conditions. The wind now hits about the top of my helmet. The Givi is about 4-5 inches taller.

Regards,

Ol dave

I'm about 5'10". When i finally have the spare cash to buy a new screen, it will obviously need some careful thinking, as well as to what i can actually get in Australia, or posted over. Thanks guys for your comments.